Environmental groups have heaped criticism on the Scottish Government over plundering a renewables cash pot and dropping annual emissions targets.
Green groups have accused John Swinney of delivering a “hammer blow” to net zero efforts with a series of “climate cutbacks” after his first Programme for Government.
Stop Climate Chaos Scotland said, with the promise of a Heat in Buildings Bill on phasing out gas boilers, there was “some cautious room for optimism, but far too little”. It comes after Finance Secretary Shona Robison controversially plundered nearly £500million from the one-off ScotWind fund earned from leasing areas of the Scottish seabed to offshore wind energy projects.The government had already swiped £5million from its flagship Nature Restoration Fund to cover council pay deals amid a funding squeeze.
On the Climate Change Bill, he added: “Years of inaction have led to the Scottish Government having to make these changes to its climate targets.” “Action to tackle climate change is popular, necessary and would improve people’s lives… The Scottish Government is choosing to make climate cutbacks instead of these positive investments which it could fund through raising taxes on the highest earners and polluting activities.”
John Swinney Scottish National Party Environment Scottish Government
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